Vending machine



A ril 18, 1939.

P. H. FRENCH VENDING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenfor Anonney Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UN so "STAT E S VENDING MACHINE Parker R. .Erench, Somerville, Mass, assignor to Trimount Coin Machine Company, Boston,

Mass.

;Application June.12, 1936, Serial No.-84,917

3 Claims.

1 any "other merchandise of small size that may be advantageously vended through a vending machine.

The art of vending machines has been substantiallyv developed withinrecent years, bothin respect to .vendingr of package goodsrand also of goods sold in bulk, yet as inmany such arts, continued developments are both necessary and welcome to the trade forthe purpose of providing vending machines which will operate more easily, more uniformly and'more reliably at a minimum cost of the machine itself.

The present invention'in this respect: provides an'efliciently operated vending machine in which in-particular bulk vending is possible in a reliable manner. It is possible in the present invention to adjust easily the amount of goods to be given to the purchaser with each purchase,

and to be assuredthat a full measure'is unif'ormly presented at each sale. 2 In addition to this, the present invention provides ameans whereby bulk goods cannot interfere with the mechanismof operation and thereby finally clog the machine so that it will not operate, and further provides special means to safe-- guard against the use of slugs orthe'like instead of the proper coins to operate the machine. 'In

addition'to-this' the machine also provides for thereceptionof a number of-coins in case more than one measure is'desired,that is, the purchaser may put in two, three coins, or more and thenturn the handle or lever. the desired number of times to take out the correct number of measures corresponding to the coins inserted.

' Further andadditional improvements will be i pointed out in'thedescription of the embodiment containing the invention as set forth in the speci- 'fication in connection with thedrawings, in

which:

Figure 1' shows a fragmentary sectional view through the machine looking from the back towardsthe front of the machine. I

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary section of a part of the machine looking from the back as viewed iniigure 1.

3 shows a section -on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4"shows a fragmentary section looking from theend as set up in Figure 1,-of the machine with partofthe casing removed.

Figurefishows a-plan-view of some of the mechanism shown in'Figure 4.

The device as indicated according .to Figure I may-bepl ovided with a number of compartments I, 2 and 3, formed by the sides 4 and 5 and partitions 6 and 1. The compartments may be made visible by the glass fronts 8, 8, 8', which are slidably positioned in channels formed by :anglesas indicated by the elements It, 0,. In, etc. The back of the compartmentis preferably extended straight downward, while the front is provided with lower partitions or. walls |2, l2, l2, which slope downwards towards the rear as indicated morev clearly in Figure 3. The elementsshown in Figure 1 are preferably suitably positioned in a casing which covers the top of the containers and the lower front allowingthe glass 8,. 8, .8, to serve as windows through which the merchandisc in the compartments may be seen.

The inclined partitions l2, as indicated. in Figure 3 may be. attached by an angle support l3 to. the side'elements or partitions by bolts or rivetsasindicated at M or in any suitable fashion. At the lower end of the compartment there is provided a floor or base I5 which has a circular opening I6, which is positioned symmetrically with a diameter containingv the wall I! extending vertically upward and thengates l8 and I9, J9 etc. These are indicated both in Figures 1 and 2. and also in part in Figure 3. The gates l8 and i9, 19 etc.;: are mounted to move or swing upon the shaft 28 which is supported by bearing brackets 2|, 2|, 2|, 2|, attached to the inclined floor I2. The gate l8 occupies approximately of the diameter, although it may be made larger or smaller dependent upon'the sizeuof the chamber that passes beneath it which contains the vended article, as will be'explained below.

As viewed in Figure 2, the gate I8 is tensioned by means of the spring '2'Lbearing at one end against. the wall l2 and on the other end against the insideof the gate 18, as viewed in Figure 2, in which part of the gate is broken away to indicate the spring. The gate, therefore as viewed .in Figure 2 cannot move .outward'from theplane of the paper but may be moved inward by pressure against the lowered end of the gate which pressure, when released allows the gate to snap back into position. The set of gates |9.indicated atthe right of Figure 2 operate in the opposite direction. These gates as'indicated' in the figure are seven in number and are form'ed;in the shape of channels eachv with a spring having one endworking in the channel and the other end tensioned against the-inclined wall ..|2. These .gates are so held by the position of their pivots 23 as indicated in Figure 2, so thatthey swing outwardly from the plane of the paper as shown in Figure 2, and snap back into position by the action of the spring.

On the outer half of the circular opening as indicated in Figure 3, there'is mounted a lever 24 in the general shape of a bell-crank lever which'is supported by a pivot 25 to a bracket- 26 attached to the floor at the side-of-the opening. This lever normally swings downward, except together after the proper adjustment is when the chamber beneath is filled with merchandise, in which case the merchandise lies beneath the lever which tends to break up any lumpiness or dislodge particles that may be present, as for instance, in candies or the like, where pieces may stick together. A more complete View of the operating mechanism is presented on an enlarged scale in Figure 4 and Figure 5, in which are shown a lower container or chamber into which the merchandise from the upper compartments 8, 8, 8, are disposed before final delivery to the customer. Above the lower base or frame l5, there is mounted a cylinder or drum 26, which is composed of two main parts, an inner core element 2'5 and an outer shell element 28, Figure 5. The inner core element is provided with a number of recesses 29, 29, 29, 29, symmetrically placed about a center. The outer shell 28 has somewhat similarly positioned openings on the top face of the shell as indicated by 3!], 30, etc. The outer shell covers the inner core and is adjustable with reference to it. This adjustment is obtained by means of the slots 35, 3!, and the screws 32, 82, which are screwed into the core through the slots holding the shell and the core in a fixed position one with the other when the proper positioning of the two elements is obtained. As indicated perhaps more clearly in Figure 5, the recess 29 extends in each case under the outer shell as indicated by the dotted line so that by rotating the shell clockwise as indicated in Figure 5, the large opening or recess will be exposed. The outer shell is provided with downwardly extending apron 33 extending intothe recess so as to close off the rest of the core when this space is not desired as indicated by the dotted line. Graduations 3d at the side of the slot may be provided to indicate What size chamber should be used. The core and outer shell both operate together and are rigidly held This system then rotates about the shaft extending upward through the base 25. The outer shell is provided with a waving flange and also projecting rotatable bars-or rods 3% which serve the purpose as spur gears meshing with the spur gear 3? vertically positioned as indicated in both Figures 4 and 5. The flange 20B meshes with the tree Zti which rides on it and bobs up and down in the merchandise to keep it broken up. The gear 3? is mounted directly upon the shaft 38 to which the outer handle 39 is pinned. This shaft extends through the extending partition or wall ail supported on the base 25. by means of the bracket ii. Surrounding the shaft 38 is a bushing d2 furnishing a larger surface in the wall it, and the shaft is pinned to this bushing. The shaft 38 also carries a group of cams which together with the operating levers provide the coin mechanism.

There are four compartments in the drum 26, and a quarter of a revolution of the drum there fore always brings the new compartment before the chute T3 at which point the bottom opens so that the material falls down into it. At the lower end of the chute 73 there is provided a cover M. This cover 14 is hinged in the plate l5 by means of the supporting hinge or pivot "l6 balanced by means of the weight 'll at the rear end. The hinge 16 as indicated may merely be a slot in the plate with an upper portion it and a lower portion 19 bent in reverse directions so as to abut or face the plate l5 on the opposite sides thereof. A handle 89 may be provided to indicate where the individual should press to lower the cover M so that the goods may be removed.

The device is particularly adaptable for bulk vending and when filled with peanuts or the like, this in the first place will fill the compartments 29 in the drum when the compartments come under the containing chambers. As the drum is rotated to bring the full compartment away from this position, the gates ill will be dragged across the compartments thus smoothing off the goods, levelling and allowing the drum to be moved or rotated without danger of any sticking. It will also be impossible as quite clearly indicated in the Figures 4 and 5 upon slight consideration for the goods to escape from the compartments, for as the drum is rotated, the compartment or chamber where the goods are contained is always closed off by the goods themselves and by the cylindrical drum. Therefore the device will always maintain its clean condition and no goods will be within the frame outside of the compartment. The lever 24, aids, it will be noted in avoiding any sticking as the goods are being delivered to the chute, since it presses downwards and so discharges the goods in the compartments of the drum. If there is any tendency for the goods to stick and not fall out, the lever is will operate to cause the goods to fall out practically immediately.

It will be understood that the various details described above may be modified within reasonable details without departing materially from the invention as described, it being understood, however, that the invention is to apply more specifically in the construction and arrangement described in the present application, and therefore, I claim:

1. In a vending machine of the type a vertical containing chamber having a sloped wall at the base thereof, a cover formed at the bottom or said chamber, said cover being provided with a circular opening, a partition extending from the sloped wall of said chamber extending diametrically into said opening, said partition being provided at the sides with gates, one gate being tensioned to move in one direction, the other gate being formed of. independent elements, each tension to move in a direction opposite from that of the first gate.

2. In a vending machine of the type described a vertical containing chamber having a circular opening at its lower end, a partition positioned at the lower end of said chamber with a sloping side and a vertical member extending from above said opening into the same diametrically across said opening, said vertical member comprising a central rigid portion and two gates at the side thereof, spring means applied to said gates to allow one to swing in one direction and one in the other direction. 7

3. In a vending machine of the type described, a vertical containing chamber having a circular opening at its lower end, a rotary trap chamber positioned directly below said opening, partition means extending upwards from a diameter of said opening and at an inclination thereto cutting off the other half of said opening, said partition means having its lower edge in line with the lower end of the said opening and comprising a central rigid portion and side pivoted gates, means permitting the swing and return of said gates, one in one direction and the other in the other direction.

PARKER I-I. FRENCH.

described, 

